FORMAL HERB GARDENS

Herb gardens are places of the fantasy of fragrance, coupled with the delight of color, texture, shape, and design.  To plan a peaceful and beckoning formal herb garden, chose a simple design and fill your space with colorful, pungent-leaved herbs.  A formal design should have a simple elegance that invites a visitor to enter the garden and experience the many sensations available.

Designs for formal gardens can run the gamut from knot gardens, and four-square, to bewildering motifs and labyrinths.   The layout for such a garden should be the owner’s choice.  Although the more elaborate designs have enjoyed popularity through history, such designs are definitely not necessary to create an elegant and outstanding garden.  Remember, the end result of your layout plan should provide space for herbs to grow without obstruction and room for you to move through the garden to perform maintenance and to harvest the herbs you enjoy using.

A favorite design is a basic 5 x 5 foot square.   In this garden, low growing plants such as garlic chives can be used as a border and/or edging.   The garlic chive plant can be easily planted in straight rows.  This grass-like plant produces rose-scented, white flowers in summer and is a good herb to have available for salads and other culinary purposes.  Plants with color and height differences can be intermingled inside the border for added interest.  Some attractive herbs to try are Greek oregano and Golden Creeping oregano.    Both of these oregano plants are highly flavorful, though Greek oregano is usually preferred for cooking.  The Golden Creeping oregano has striking round, golden yellow leaves with white summer flowers.  The Greek oregano is a good contrast with its bright green leaves and white summer flowers.

In a 5 x 5 formal garden, a centerpiece is always attractive.  The center point of interest can be a taller plant such as Purple Perilla or a pot, urn, or statue, or even a birdbath.  Purple Perilla has enjoyed popularity for many years both as a specimen plant and as a filler in large gardens.  This plant grows to a height of 2½ to 3 feet.  Its dark red-purple leaves often have a bronze sheen and the tiny white flower spikes appear in mid-summer.  It is considered an annual, but under proper conditions will self-seed.  Remember, the ultimate height and footprint of the individual herbs will determine spacing. 

Drainage and soil fertility are also important factors when growing herbs.  Many herbs are happy in full sun and well drained soil, while others will flourish in partial shade, poor soil, and/or low moisture. 

The location of individual plants needs to be determined by doing some basic research before actually purchasing your plants.  If you are willing to do some research, you will soon discover that you can save time, money, energy, and much frustration.

The location of your formal herb garden is an important first step in your planning.  A sunny location with good air circulation and access to a water source is essential.  To actually lay out your garden space, a square shape can be achieved with stakes and string.  If you are designing a curved garden, you can use an old water hose or rope to outline the shape and size.  If you intend to use culinary herbs and you would like easy access for quick harvesting, consider a space near your kitchen door.  When you have a well established garden with herbs you often utilize in meals, beverages, etc., you can make quick trips into the garden to clip the items you need.

Soil preparation is another aspect of this project.  The space you intend to use must be cleared, tilled, or dug to ensure good drainage, and amended with either compost or aged manure.  A soil test will help determine the amendments needed for your garden space.

After the location has been selected and the soil tested, amended and prepared, the gardener can begin to choose plants.  It is a good idea to consider whether you want to plant annuals, perennials, tender perennials, or a mix before you make a diagram to determine where plants are to be located.  Shopping for your plants at a local nursery or greenhouse is always a good idea.  The staff will be knowledgeable and can assist you in acquiring plants that will be hardy and suitable for your garden.  Use your diagram, read the labels, and ask questions.

Herb gardening, both formal and informal, has been popular for centuries.  From the beginning of recorded time, herbs have been an important aspect of all cultures.  Even in Biblical times, herbs were widely used to anoint people and even to prepare bodies for burial.

 

Today, herbs are common in gardens for culinary purposes, as well as flower design, insect repellence, potpourri, crafts, and many other uses.  Over the last twenty-plus years, interest in cultivating herbs has grown exponentially.  Now that we can travel all over the globe and experience almost any culture, there is a greater demand for the herbs to be found far and wide.  Each ethnic group or culture generally has a unique and tasty way to utilize the herbs they grow.  From the wonderful cilantro-filled dishes of Thailand to the spicy curry dishes of India, many people not only have been introduced to the cuisines of other cultures, but also pursue the herbs and growing methods to recreate those same foods they find wonderful in their own homes.

In closing, let me share the following tips:

1.  Have your soil tested.  If you have not had a soil test on your property, it is always a good idea to get this done prior to adding any additional plantings.

2.  Start Small.  This gives the gardener time to learn more about growing herbs.  As your knowledge increases, the garden can be easily expanded to incorporate as many herbs as you have the time to maintain and the space to grow.  Keep in mind, though, that while starting small means less maintenance, it will also produce fewer herbs to harvest and enjoy.

3.  Mulching your herb plants has several benefits.  Mulch will conserve moisture, eliminate rain splash, help to keep the soil from becoming hot, reduce but not completely eliminate weeds, and impart nutrients into the soil.

4.  For maximum flavor, when harvesting herbs, pick leaves after the dew has dried.  Herbs tend to be more flavorful before their flowers open.

5.  Maintenance of the herb garden is easy.   Keep your plants clipped and well-manicured by harvesting on a regular basis.

A well-kept herb garden will delight the eye and the palate for years to come.

References:  Creative Planting Ideas, The Wise Gardening Encyclopedia, and The Medicine Wheel Garden.